


New Beginnings in Old Memories

by Jam Blute (CrookedCompass)



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Found Family, Gen, Ienzo-centric (Kingdom Hearts), Multi, Polyamory, basement trio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:22:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23420890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrookedCompass/pseuds/Jam%20Blute
Summary: Dilan, Even, and Aeleus found comfort in returning to their relationship after recompletion, but the peace was imperfect. With a return to the old life came new problems. Mainly, the question of how raise Ienzo with this second chance when so much of their world had changed and their mistakes felt larger than ever.
Relationships: Aeleus/Dilan/Even (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 17
Collections: Radiant Garden Family Exchange





	1. Co-Parenting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bookwormally](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookwormally/gifts).



With one arm resting over the back of the sofa, Dilan watched Even pace one of many reading rooms in the Radiant Garden castle. Aeleus sat in a reading chair to his right and flipped idly through a cookbook, noting recipes he’d like to return to with page markers. To all the world, it appeared as if he wasn’t paying attention, but Dilan knew too well that nothing escaped the tall, quiet man.

It was fortunate that whatever powers there were in the universe decided that life after recompletion should be as familiar as possible—from the people he knew to the places he visited. Radiant Garden had been restored to a condition that seemed like they’d been gone for a relatively short time instead of the ages it felt like. The buildings remained, damaged as many of them were, and most of their belongings were right where they left them. They’d even had to upgrade Ienzo’s bed from a child-sized mattress and frame to one he could actually fit in.

Having all that on their plate plus every disaster in between still wasn’t enough to keep Even’s attention. He continued pacing and muttering over something perfectly domestic and—one would think—manageable: taking care of Ienzo better this time around. It’d be almost impossible to do worse, but raising a son who went from a mute, curious child to a chatty young man fighting against a troubled past was completely outside of their combined skillsets.

Then came Sora’s disappearance. That held everyone’s attention almost to the exclusion of all else, but still not Even. He helped in their efforts, of course, but his mind always returned to how they should be guiding Ienzo whether he needed it or not, and nothing Dilan or Aeleus said regarding him could truly calm Even down.

He seemed convinced that parenting the boy required a fully orchestrated strategy from the three of them. Even planned for this task on the lofty scale of his personal campaign to make amends. Aeleus and Dilan knew that acting as parents to Ienzo didn’t call for a grand scheme like Even’s time as a double agent in the Real Organization XIII, but the man himself was impossible to convince once he’d made up his mind. Even never did handle moderation well, and his guilt about Ienzo becoming a Nobody in the first place just made that worse. Leave it to that genius-level idiot to get too much in his own head over how to help Ienzo to actually be of any help.

Dilan forced a sigh through his nose, gesturing to Even with his free hand as he finally cut off his half-muttered, meandering rant.

“The boy’s grown up, Even,” Dilan reminded him. If no one stopped this pacing and brainstorming, it would go through the night and possibly into the morning too.

“He's struggling, that’s what it is,” Even corrected sharply, his green eyes piercing Dilan for a fragment of a second before the blond turned on a heel for another round of his pacing. At this rate, he’d wear a hole through the carpet and the floor beneath it.

“Yes, that's how you grow,” Dilan insisted with an impatient edge to his voice. Even didn’t listen to anything but that tone when he got like this.

“And how can that be?!” There was the lash-out Dilan expected. Even whirled on him with a sweeping gesture and a showy brush of straight, haphazardly maintained blond hair. In the lab, he tied it back, but he didn’t show the same restraint when nagging away in the sun-washed study. “You just said he's grown already!” Throwing his hands up in exasperation, Even did still wait for an explanation, to his credit.

“Even,” Aeleus warned, glancing up at him from the hearty stew recipe pictured before him. An unmarked page, Dilan noted with mild regret.

Even answered their partner with a disgusted noise, tossing a heatless glare over his shoulder to Dilan as he pivoted and kept pacing. The relationship between the three men started before the fall of Radiant Garden, seemingly from its own momentum. Come to think of it, Dilan had to admit that piecing together a family for Ienzo from their group moved their relationship along. And though it changed while in the Organization—he was not one for romance once he’d donned the cloak—it was remarkable how easily they fell into their old rhythm once they were back together again. Another mercy among all the tragedy.

“He doesn't need us anymore,” Dilan cut to the heart of it and leaned forward in his seat on the couch, not holding back on what Even needed to hear. “And you are only making an excuse for yourself to feel needed with all this fretting over Ienzo.”

Even’s ice abilities as a Nobody were no mistake, as that frigid stare almost gave an actual chill to the room. Not that Dilan reacted with more than a deadpan stare in return. This was how their dynamic worked. They both pushed each other to do better and called the other one out when they needed to hear the hard truth. With such powerful personalities, who else would dare?

“What _ill-considered_ fallacy—" Even started his march towards Dilan punctuated by harsh enunciation at the critical points of his sentence to make his irritation known.

“He doesn’t need us like he used to,” Aeleus interrupted, firm and gentle all at once. Even halted out of habit and gave his attention to him as he finished his explanation. “Our roles are different now.”

And as Aeleus turned his gaze to Dilan, that gentle nature receded to a hard stare. Which meant, of course, he was being warned that Aeleus would not defend Dilan if he was going to be that blunt with Even. Sometimes, Dilan resented being as attuned to their thoughts as he was.

So he grunted and scowled back. Aeleus was too gentle with Even and Ienzo—and sometimes Dilan too. They all needed it when he was, but none of them would ever pry that admittance from Dilan out loud.

“Very well, then.” Even lowered himself onto the couch beside Dilan stiffly, his health never quite fully restored after recompletion. True, the scientist was never the physically fit type, but he was never as worn as he was now. They didn’t talk about it. Not that they didn’t try, but he always managed to bring the conversation to something else if they did. Even was just as cagey and skillfully avoidant as another promising scientist they all knew. “What eloquent solution do you propose?”

Yet his judgmental tone was perfectly intact after returning to Radiant Garden… What a relief. Dilan glanced his way, purple eyes meeting green in shared irritation at the subject at hand.

“If I knew, do you think we'd still be talking about this?”

The quiet that followed pulled the room down as surely as if night had suddenly fallen. The castle took on every change around it, from a damp chill in stormy weather to the heavy silence of three grown men without the slightest idea how to raise an adopted son they’d already failed in more ways than anyone could count. The antique clock on the coffee table between the couch and where Aeleus sat filled the gap in their discussion with a condescending tick of its mechanisms.

Of course, it was Even who tore down the silence first. “I hate this not knowing.” He crossed his arms as he spoke, drumming his fingers irritably on his upper arm.

Dilan answered with an agreeing scoff.

“Then we discover it together.” Rare were the times that Aeleus spoke when Dilan chose not to, but it was always with an almost insulting level of wisdom and clarity. Even straightened, his overthinking posture clearly apparent in the change even though he was focused on Aeleus instead of Dilan.

“Ienzo is indeed older now, but a great number of his years have transpired while he as a Nobody. They far outnumber those he's spent with a complete heart.” This was only the beginning of a speech on the inner workings of something, Dilan knew. He idly wondered if Even realized that Ienzo’s fairly recent habit of launching into a rant on the science behind a topic could be traced directly back to Even.

“That is a tremendous amount of accrued emotion for a newly recompleted heart to process, and it must also do so without the advantage of prior experience in said emotions.” Finishing it off with an exasperated sigh, Even leaned back again to dig deeper into his thoughts. “There are simply too many errors to calculate for and a severe deficit of resources by comparison.”

“So we guide him if he gets lost.” A single sentence was classic Aeleus, and giving advice as they all fumbled blindly through parenting was obviously no exception.

“And we respect his independence if he needs to struggle and find his own way.” Dilan reminded, resting his hand against Even’s shoulder to single him out. A soft, knowing look from Aeleus sealed it—he wasn’t the only one who knew Even’s overly supportive nature was one of the hurdles Ienzo faced in his new old life.

“What? Why are you stating that directly to me?”

Dilan chuckled as Even whirled to Aeleus for backup only to be met with a patient smile.

“I hate you both.” Even managed to mutter with clarity only his voice could manage, half-heartedly scowling at the floor.

“Put some effort in if you're going to lie to us.” Dilan answered, gently pulling Even in with the hand still on his shoulder. There was a moment of awkward stiffness that made it feel like Dilan was pulling a plank onto himself, not his partner, but Even allowed it all the same. Dilan smiled at the unspoken permission, a subtle message from Even that this was not something he would permit just anyone to do.

“Excuse you?!” Even snipped, still leaning into Dilan’s embrace while he protested. “I will have you know that I have turned a new leaf, and deceit is no longer permitted in my moral code. I am entirely too capable of hating you and loving you simultaneously; it’s a testament to my emotionally complex nature.”

“Mmhm,” Dilan humored him and was rewarded with a flustered huff (that was meant to be seen as offended). “If you insist.”

“I do, as a matter of fact.”

Dilan reached for Even’s face to encourage him to look directly at him. The vibrant green of his eyes was as rich and deep as ever, Dilan noted. Never one to simply go along, Even brushed his hand away to beat him to his own objective and claim the kiss. Even wasn’t especially skilled as a kisser, but he made up for it in candor and conviction—two traits Dilan most appreciated in others.

“You could allow me be suave with you once in a while, Even,” Dilan teased, the dismissed hand finding its way into Even’s hair to brush it out gently with his fingers. Their shared pride meant their enjoyment of such a tender act remained unspoken but understood between them all the same.

“And then what?” Even rested against Dilan, tension slipping from his shoulders while he continued his small lecture. “Let it go to your overinflated ego so that none of us shall ever hear the end of it?”

“You are both guilty of that,” Aeleus observed, closing the book in his lap with a faint brush of the tiny color-coded flags sticking out from the worn pages. Words weren’t needed for the plan they shared next either.

They both got up simultaneously to approach Aeleus in his chair, and Even kissed him on the lips like he had with Dilan while the guard kissed his partner’s neck (in a place Dilan knew full well Aeleus enjoyed most, naturally).

“We—we are in the study.” Aeleus thought aloud, a hand making its way to Even’s back in a familiar gesture. For all that talk Even did about how Ienzo must be struggling with returning to this life without as much experience handling more fully developed emotions, Dilan had to admit Ienzo was lucky for that in a way. He didn’t have old aversions to concern himself with. The relationship between the three of them was familiar from their old lives, but the initial awkwardness and concern for propriety still lingered with the three of them at times.

“How observant,” Dilan joked, looking at Even over Aeleus.

“Indeed, we are fortunate to have a boyfriend so astute as to observe the room we’re in only after being in it for over an hour.” Even had more than enough words for all three of them in his answer. And in the sunset of that study, that just seemed right.


	2. Cooking Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ienzo tries his best to recover and do his part in this new life, but sometimes he needs more guidance than he is willing to ask for.

With their new beginning, everyone in Radiant Garden was trying to rebuild in some manner or another. Far more than buildings were compromised, but the physical necessities of restoring their home were more apparent than abstract needs. And some people were better applied to those demands—today, it was Aeleus helping to move heavy supplies, leaving a vacancy in the castle kitchen just before dinner.

Ienzo had an active mind that lent itself to having many skills at a basic level, if not more, giving him the advantage over Even when it came to cooking. And since Dilan was on his route while Aeleus helped with transporting renovation supplies to make more living space for the general community, making dinner fell to Ienzo.

The fact that his mind was getting in the way of his every task today was beside the point. Yes, he dropped a gummi tablet and cracked the screen earlier, and yes, he’d lost focus while Even was instructing him in the check-ups Naminé would regularly require, forcing him to repeat the entire process. It was as Ienzo said: everyone was trying to rebuild, not just him. He would have to push through it and pull his weight like the others.

“Oh, shoot,” Ienzo whispered to himself, the smell of the burning roux drawing him out of his mind again. He stirred it hastily, turning down the heat. The vegetables were still boiling, and he’d been stirring them absently. It’s possible they were done as well, perhaps overdone. Ienzo forced out a frustrated sigh. He was so close to finishing this cream of potato soup recipe too. It was a simple one, purposefully chosen so he could easily manage without ruining it. He dropped the wooden spoon against the edge of the pan and frowned at the browning it shouldn’t have. This was a simple task.

“Ienzo?” Aeleus interrupted, rather quiet for his size and catching Ienzo off guard. The careful, gently prodding tone of his name alone revealed that he saw Ienzo staring into burning roux and knew exactly what that meant for his mindscape. And truthfully, the idea of that made Ienzo’s skin crawl. He had no logical reason for his behavior; he could not begin to explain it to Aeleus. Being witnessed meant he had to have an answer if questioned because—because that was one of his jobs in this new world emerging from his old life. Lives? Ienzo smiled, swallowing the discomfort and picking up the spoon again.

“Ah, Aeleus,” he greeted, focusing on the roux if only to avoid more eye contact. Ienzo stirred as he spoke to keep Aeleus from asking anything at all. “How did the delivery go?”

“We finished early.” He stepped into the kitchen, lingering at the island where most prep work took place. Typically, it was Ienzo there helping chop or peel or simply keeping Aeleus company. Now he was stuck wondering if Aeleus also felt like he was the slide under a microscope when these roles were reversed.

“I see.” Ienzo blinked quickly as if that could clear away the encroaching sensation that the hand holding the spoon was not his. He didn’t dare face Aeleus in case his sudden fragility was as apparent as he felt it to be. “I’ll be done here soon, so please take a moment to rest.”

“Mind if we cook together?” Aeleus suggested, a glimpse of a smile in his voice. He didn’t have much to say when he did speak, but his tone conveyed more than enough on its own.

“No, I can handle this. It’s simple enough.” Still, Ienzo found himself persisting. He wasn’t entirely sure who he was trying to convince. The roux wasn’t getting worse for his stirring, but it wasn’t getting better either. And the remainder of the ingredients in the other pot were still cooking while he drew this charade out—and for what? Ienzo needed the help, but the task of admitting that aloud in this state seemed nothing short of insurmountable.

“It’s alright,” Aeleus said, obviously covering for Ienzo’s illogical behavior as he joined him by the stove, “Cooking relaxes me.”

He held a hand out towards the spoon and Ienzo looked at the offered hand, glancing up to meet Aeleus’ gaze. He was smiling at him after all. Patiently so, with the extended hand acting as nothing more than the chance to accept help should he need it—or not if he decided against it. He felt the tug at the corner of his mouth before he fully realized he smiled back at Aeleus. And Ienzo passed the spoon over, stepping back from the pan as it changed hands.

“In that case, I welcome the company.”

Aeleus silently took over the roux, correcting it as best he could after the delay. That freed Ienzo to add the last of the spices to the vegetables, and both were ready to be combined as the final step from the faded recipe book Aeleus was so fond of. Ienzo had the flavor of nearly every meal inside committed to memory, but obviously there was some way to go yet before he was prepared to cook them.

Ienzo looked over their dinner in the ceramic serving bowl and nodded to himself. That was alright. He had plenty of time to learn.

He heard Dilan before he saw him, calling out to them from down the castle hall. “What’s that smell?”

Even followed behind him, their hands falling away from the other’s as they came into the kitchen. Their relationship was far from secret, but those two in particular battled their pride at every turn. For them, it was almost a part of their romance.

“It’d best be our dinner,” Even played at complaining with a smirk, “Or I will be having a word with you two. Without Ienzo’s support in the labs, it has been an exceptionally strenuous day.”

Aeleus smiled, giving a fond nod. “I see why you monopolize him.”

“Ah,” Ienzo reacted, preoccupying himself with gathering bowls and silverware to avoid the shy smile being too obvious. There was only a slim chance it was missed by everyone when they were all keenly observant in their own ways, of course. At least he could divide the stew into the bowls uninterrupted and ward off any discussion on his reaction until after dinner.

Even’s offended gasp broke up his thoughts, and Ienzo didn’t have to look to envision the cross look masking his discomfort at being so accurately described.

“I most certainly do not! It is no fault of mine that his exceptional ability in the sciences sees its best application in the lab,” he explained rather than trying to deny. Truthfully, it was the only thing Even could do in this case because Aeleus was correct. “And mind you, the greater wellbeing of many of our new allies does rely on our work here.”

With the attention securely off him, Ienzo faced the three men and discovered his smile softened on its own. Through it all, they were his family. Dilan rested a hand on Even’s shoulder with one of his knowing smirks coming readily.

“He’s teasing you, dear.”

Even allowed him to lean over and kiss his cheek, irritability giving way to self-conscious stubbornness. His gaze turned to a corner of the kitchen, worn and decorated with framed pressed flowers.

“I knew that, of course. Still, a point had to be made!”


End file.
